Track for track laying wheels



Feb. 13, 1934. J. KUCHAR TRACK FOR TRACK LAYING WHEEIJS Filed May 6. 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q mm W T N N RN fl l 0 0 e O O Q 0 O a 0 O 0 Feb. 13, 1934. J. KUCHAR 1,946,799

TRACK FOR TRACK LAYING WHEELS Filed May 6. 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 16 g 4/ 2 flUQFZEZ? Jwg /AZ ZC/ZQT Feb. 13, 1934. uc 1,946,799

TRACK FOR TRACK LAYING WHEELS Filed May 6. 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 7 .3 4 7% 2g 19 @29 a? i a 47 306]? E? J09 90 21 acfiarz" Feb. 13, 1934. J. KUCHAR 1,946,799

' TRACK FOR TRACK LAYING WHEELS Filed May 6 1932 4 Sheet s-rSheet 4 In A MI/Ill Patented Feb. 13, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Joseph Kuchar, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Forged- Trak 00., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application May 6, 1932. Serial No. 609,608

8 Claim.

This invention relates to tracks for track laying wheels which are adapted to be laid on the ground to provide support for a vehicle, and to be raised continuously as the vehicle proceeds.

; The invention particularly relates to tracks comprising a series of articulated track elements, adjacent track elements being adapted to be trussed one to the other so as to provide a beam or bridge which is rigid against displacement in one direction and which is flexible with respect to displacement in the opposite direction.

The invention particularly relates to tracks of the type described and claimed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 575,177, filed November 16, 1931, and in certain respects may be regarded as providing improvements and modifications thereof.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved track.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved track element.

A further object of the invention is to provide a track built of a plurality of materials so that each portion of the track is of a material particularly adapted to its function.

A further object of the invention is to provide a track of the type described comprising a series of track elements assembled in a novel and advantageous manner. A further object of the invention is to provide a track of the class described which will work smoothly and not be liable to shocks and jerks particularly in those portions which are being bent.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved track of the class described in which the trussing leverage is increased Without excessive extension of the truss elements inwardly from the face of the track. Other objects, advantages and capabilities of the invention will appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a truss wheel embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross sectional view on a larger scale taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the track partly in section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation partly in section, taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, of a portion of the track showing the construction thereof in greater detail than is shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a plan View of one of the link elements;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of one of the truss elements, and

Fig. 8 is a side elevation thereof.

Referring to the drawings, the improved track so 10 is shown as part of a truss wheel. This truss wheel comprises a beam 11 which is pivotally mounted on an axle 12 at its center. At each end the beam 11 carries bearings 13 for axles 14 which project outwardly from the beam on both sides. Wheels 15 are keyed to the axle 14 at each end. The peripheries of the wheels 15 are adapted to engage with portions of the track, which provide a rail or support for said wheels in the manner hereinafter more fully described.

The track 10 is constituted by a continuous series of articulated elements 16 which are pivotally connected together so that the same may accommodate themselves around the wheels 15 in the manner shown in Fig. 1. Means are provided so that each track element may be trussed to the adjacent track elements in such a manner that the track is rigid when subjected to load in one direction and is flexible and readily bent in the other direction. The rigidity referred to is important in the portion of the track located below and between the two pairs of wheels 15, this portion acting as an inverted bridge and distributing over a large area the load applied by the axle 12 on the beamll.

Each track element comprises a shoe plate 17 which may be formed of forged steel, rolled steel or other suitable material. Each plate 17 may be provided with transverse grousers or ribs 13. At its forward and rearward edges the plate 17 is provided with curved surfaces which cooperate with complementary surfaces upon the adjacent shoe plates in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 4. On each side each shoe plate 17 has secured thereto a link element 95 19 which will now be described. The link element 19 preferably is a forging of the structure and configuration shown in thedrawings, particularly Figs. 5 and 6. The link element 19 is provided with hubs 20, 21 which are stag- 100 gered transversely in the longitudinal direction so that the outer face of the hub 20 is in substantial longitudinal alignment with the inner face of the hub 21, as will more readily be understood with reference to Fig. 3. The hubs 5 20 and 21 are connected by a sloping vertical web 22 which is provided at its lower edge with a horizontal web 23 and at its upper edge with a horizontal web 24. The base web 23 is provided on its upper side with bosses 25 which 110 are provided with openings whereby the link element may be secured to the shoe plate 1'! by means of bolts 26.

The upper surface of the web 24 is machined to provide a flat face 27. The flat face 27 of the aligned links provide a track or rail for the wheels 15, which track or rail is laid down in front of the wheels and is taken up after the last wheels have passed over it. Intermediate the hubs 20 and 21, the web 22 of each element is provided with a hub 28, the purpose of which will hereinafter be described.

It will be understood that the link elements 19 which are secured to opposite sides of the shoe plate 1'7 are exactly similar, one being a mirror image of the other, so that the hubs 21, 21 and 28 on each link are in transverse alignment.

The hubs 20 of each opposite pair of link elements 19 are connected by sleeves 30 which have a drive fit therein, and extend slightly therebeyond on each side so that in assembled con dition said ends project into the hubs 21 which are counterbored to receive them. Pins 31 have a drive fit in the hubs 21 and extend through the sleeves 30 in which they have a working fit. Pins 29 have a drive fit in the opposite hubs 28 of link elements 19.

On each track element is provided a pair of truss elements 32 which are preferably of the form shown in Figs. 7 and 8. The lower portion of the truss element 32 is configured to correspond to the inner side of an adjacent link element as will be readily seen in Fig. 3. This lower portion of the truss element 32 is provided with hubs 33 and 34 which are adapted to be placed in alignment with, and preferably in contact with the hubs 20 and 28 on the inner side thereof. The upper portion of the truss element 32 comprises a forwardly extending web 35 which is substantially in alignment with the hub 34, and an integral web 36 which is offset inwardly with respect to the web 35 and is connected thereto by means of a connecting web 37. As will be seen in Fig. 7 the web 36 is located within the web 35, with respect to the longitudinal direction of the track so that the web 36 may move past the web 35 of the adjacent track during the bending of the track around the wheels. The forwardly extending webs 35 terminate in hooks 38, the concave surface of which is directed towards the rear, that is towards the web 36. The upper portion of each web 36 is provided, substantially in longitudinal alignment with the center of the hooked tween the wheels 15.

The track may be assembled in many different ways, the following being given merely by way of example. A pair of truss elements 32 are located on either side of a pin 40, a sleeve 30 and a pin 29, said pin 40, sleeve 30 and pin 29 being located in alignment with the hubs 39, 33 and 34 respectively. The truss elements 32 are pressed inwardly upon the pin 40, sleeve 30 and pin 29 to the desired extent, that is until these elements project therebeyond to the appropriate amount in each case. In this way a plurality of truss units are assembled. To one of these truss units is presented a pair of link elements 19 with the hubs 20 and 28 in alignment with the projecting ends of the sleeve 30 and the pin 29. The link elements are pressed inwardly until the hubs 20 and 28 contact with the outer faces of the hubs 33 and 34. A pin 31 is now slipped into the sleeve 30 of the assembly, a further truss assembly is brought into alignment with the assembled truss elements and links 19 with the hook 38 in engagement with the pin 40, in the manner shown in Fig. 4. A further pair of link elements 19 is pressed inwardly with their hubs 20 and 28 in alignment with the sleeve 30 and pin 29 of the last added truss assembly and their hubs 21 in alignment with the last said pin 31. These links are then pressed inwardly thereby securing the hubs 20 and the last said links rigidly upon the last said sleeve 30, and the hubs 28 rigidly upon the pin 29 of the last added truss assembly and their hubs 21 rigidly upon the last said pin 31. Further truss assemblies and further link members are added progressively in this manner until a track of the desired length is built up.

The link elements 19 may be secured to the plates 17 at any time after the links are pressed inwardly upon the assembled portion of the track. The last sleeve 30' of the assembly is shorter than the sleeves 30 and does not project beyond the outer faces of the hubs 20, as will readily be seen from Fig. 3. To assemble the track upon the wheels 15, the two ends of the track are brought together upon one pair of the wheels 15 and the hubs 20 at one extremity are slipped in between the hubs 21 of the other extremity. The counterbores of these hubs 21 may be provided with rings 41 which occupy the position of the normally projecting ends of the sleeves 30. A pin 42 is slipped through the aligned hubs 21, rings 41 and sleeve 30', this pin having a sliding fit within all these elements. The pin 42 may be held in position by cotter pins 43 which extend through the hubs 21 associated therewith.

It will be noted, particularly in Fig. 4, that the pin is displaced in the longitudinal direction of the track with respect to the pivot points of the element associated therewith. In the specific embodiment shown the pin 40 is located forwardly of the rearward pivot of the track element carrying the pin 40 and the corresponding bearing surface of the hook 38 of the adjacent track member is located forwardly of the forward pivotal axis of the track element carrying said hook. This displacement of the engaging surfaces of the truss elements with respect to the track pivots is very important since it provides a greater leverage for the truss elements without excessively increasing the inward extension of the truss elements from the track face. This displacement also facilitates the bending of. the track around the wheels 15 with the result that smaller wheels may be employed. It is to be noted in Fig. 1 that the hooks 38 do not make contact with the pins 40 when going around the wheels 15, thereby avoiding sudden jerks and shocks.

The various elements which contribute to make up the track are easily fabricated and assembled together. Owing to the manner in which the pivot pins 31 are enclosed within the sleeve 30, there is very little Wear at these points and the principal wear occurs between hooks 38 and pins 40, The pins 40 may readily be removed and replaced and in case or excessive wear of the hooks 38, the truss members 32 may be removed and replaced, the track being dissembled and reassembled in the manner described above. The tread plates 17 are of simple construction and are very easily replaced.

Although the invention has been described in connection with the specific details of preferred embodiments thereof, it must be understood that such details are not intended to be limitative of the invention except in so far as set forth in the accompanying claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A track comprising a series of track ele ments, each element comprising a shoe plate, a pair of link elements bolted thereto, a pair of truss arms located adjacent said link elements, means pivotally connecting the link elements in series and connecting the truss arms rigidly to said link elements, and means having a pressed fit in said truss arms connecting same together at an elevation with respect to the link elements.

2. A track comprising a series of track elements, each element comprising a shoe plate, a pair of link elements bolted thereto, a pair of truss arms located adjacent said link elements, means having a pressed fit in said link elements and truss arms rigidly supporting said truss arms in position, and means having a pressed fit in said truss arms connecting them together at an elevated position with respect to the link elements.

3. A track element comprising a shoe plate, a pair of link elements bolted thereto, said link elements being provided with three pairs of aligned hubs, a pair of truss elements located adjacent said link elements, a sleeve having a pressed fit through one pair of said hubs and through hubs in the truss elements, a pin having a pressed fit in another pair of said hubs and in hubs of the truss elements, and a pin having a pressed fit in aligned hubs at an elevated position on said truss elements, said truss elements being provided remote from the last said pin with hooks adapted to engage the similar pin of a similar track element.

4. A track element comprising a shoe plate, a pair of link elements bolted thereto, said elements having hubs located out of alignment in the longitudinal direction of the track shoe, a pair of truss elements located adjacent said link elements and on the inner side thereof, means haw'ng a pressed fit in said link elements and in said truss elements rigidly mounting said truss elements thereon, each said truss element comprising a pair of integral webs displaced in the transverse direction of the track elements, one of said webs being formed into a hook, and a pin having a pressed fit in the other webs of the truss elements, said pin projecting into the path of said hooks.

5. A track comprising a series of track elements pivotally connected together, each element comprising a shoe plate, a pair of link elements bolted thereto, a pair of truss arms located adjacent said link elements, a pair of pivot members having a pressed fit in said link elements, one of said pivot members having a pressed fit in said truss arms, another member having a pressed fit in said link elements and said truss arms, and a member having a pressed fit in said truss arms at an elevated position thereon.

6. A track comprising a series of track elements pivotally connected together, each element comprising a shoe plate, a pair of link elements bolted thereto, a pair of truss arms located in spaced relation one on the inner side of each track element, a pivot sleeve having a pressed fit in said link elements and said truss arms, a pivot pin having a pressed fit in said truss arms, a pin having a pressed fit in said link elements and truss arms, and a pin having a pressed fit in said truss arms at an elevated position thereof.

7. A track comprising a series of assembled track elements pivotally connected together, each element comprising a shoe plate, a pair of link elements bolted thereto, a pair of truss arms located adjacent said link elements, a sleeve and pin having a pressed fit in said link elements and truss arms, and a pin having a pressed fit in said truss arms connecting them together at an elevated position with respect to the link elements.

8. A track element comprising a shoe plate, a pair of link elements bolted thereto, said link elements being provided with three pairs of aligned hubs, a truss element located adjacent said link elements, a sleeve having a pressed fit through one pair of said hubs and through a hub in the truss element, a pin having a pressed fit in another pair or said hubs and in another hub of the truss element, and a pin carried by said truss element at an elevated position, said truss element being provided remote from said means with hooks adapted to engage the similar means of a similar track element.

JOSEPH KUCHAR. 

